Runners Questions

Name Sophie Power

Occupation I run Airlabs, a start-up with a technology that cleans polluted air in cities

Home Town London

Twitter @ultra_sophie

What is your running background? When did you first start running Ultra marathons and why?.

I was never sporty as a kid (memorably I was second last in the mile at school) but always loved the outdoors. I signed up to the MdS in 2010 having never run much more than that mile as my friend said I’d enjoy it and I got hooked.

When or where (at which events) are we most likely to see you? Racing – at Centurion events or in the mountains (UTMR, TransGranCanaria etc) whenever I can convince hubby to solo parent for a few days. For training I live in London and run along the canal from Islington.

What are your personal key running achievements to date? 50km course marking the SVP100 when I was 6 months pregnant and getting a 100 mile PB before he was a year old. Have done pretty well in a few stage races too.

What was your hardest race experience? TransGranCanaria. Oh and the Cambodian stage race where I put myself in a coma with hyponatraemia.

What events do you have planned for 2015 up to Spartathlon? Centurion SDW50/100 and NDW50. Marathon du Medoc to get some tarmac practise.

What is your typical race strategy for an ultra? Start slow and try not to slow down too much. Eat lots of cake.

What does a typical training week look like? Couple of weights sessions, an interval session and a longish gossip run at the weekend. Starting to up the mileage now for Spartathlon.

What one tip would you pass onto people running an Ultra marathon for the first time? Take advantage of the free cake you’ll probably need it.

Can you tell us one interesting fact about yourself? Before I started running I was fairly handy at Muay Thai

Spartathlon Questions

Have you taken part in the Spartathlon before? No

What are you looking forward to at the Spartathlon race? The atmosphere and being part of the British team : )

What are you not looking forward to during the Spartathlon race? The pressure of the cut-offs (I’m not a fast runner). The heat. And leaving my baby at home : (

How will you prepare specifically for the Spartathlon race? TBC! Definitely a few Bikram sessions to prepare for the heat and a lot more running than usual. Maybe less gossiping during said running too and more focus on speed.

Will you be bringing any support crew to the race? Yes – fellow ultra runner Krasse Georgiev and my strength trainer Nick Kinsella (who has been wondering for a while what these ultra things I do are really like).